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Police are investigating whether the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the accident which killed Peter Rippington, 59, who led the group.

A 13-year-old girl was also understood to be in a coma in Paris after the incident, which only involved one vehicle.

The coach, carrying 49 people, of which 29 were pupils, left the motorway and careered down an embankment before coming to rest on its side.

Yesterday, officials revealed that the pupils caught up in the tragedy were from Alvechurch Church of England Middle School, near Redditch, north Worcestershire.

A spokesman from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) confirmed 22 people had suffered minor injuries in the crash. Four teenagers are understood to be in a serious condition in hospital.

Mr Rippington’s family, who taught Maths and PE at the school, said they were devastated by his “tragic loss”.

They added that his wife, Sharon, had also been injured in the incident, as had the couple’s daughter Amy.

A statement read: “We, as a family, are devastated at the tragic loss of Peter, a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, son-in-law, brother-in-law, uncle, friend and teacher.

“We are still extremely concerned about the health of his wife, Sharon, who was injured and is still recovering in hospital in France. Sharon is accompanied by her daughter Amy, who escaped the incident with minor injuries.”

The crash happened at 3.30am local time on the A26 motorway near Reims in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, between Troyes and the port of Calais.

The coach was on its way back to the Midlands following the party’s holiday in Italy's popular Valle d'Aosta skiing region.

Photographs of the accident site showed the bus on its side, with its windscreen and many of the passenger windows smashed out.

Officials said the driver had been slightly injured in the accident and had tested negative for drink or drugs. Magistrate Christian de Rocquigny added that he would be detained by police for further questioning after being released from hospital.

Yesterday, those who escaped injury were being looked after by French Red Cross staff at a sports centre in the nearby town of Saint-Gibrien while awaiting transport back home to the UK.

A spokeswoman from the FCO said the British Ambassador to France, Sir Peter Ricketts, had visited the crash site. One of its consular teams had also been sent to the scene to provide assistance to those affected, a spokesman added.

Alvechurch School, in the village of Alvechurch, caters for pupils aged between nine and 13.

The trip had been organised by Interski Snowsport School, based in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, and six ski instructors were on board the bus at the time of the crash. A second coach was travelling behind the first.

In a statement the firm said: "We are saddened and distressed to report the death of a party leader following a coach accident in the Reims area of Northern France at approximately 2.30am.

“We also extend our sympathy to the four seriously injured passengers, to twenty two passengers with minor injuries and to all others involved in this tragic incident."

Last night, a Twitter account called prayforsuzie was bombarded with messages of support for one crash victim. A Facebook page using the same name was also set up.

One tweet read: “My friend’s sister is in a coma in Paris after a tragic bus accident.”

Anne Abrahill's 13-year-old daughter Isabelle was on the bus when it crashed. Her 17-year-old sister visited Alvechurch School this afternoon following the news. She said: “I felt sick when I found out. I've been on that trip before.

“The school told us all the children were fine but Mr Ripps was dead.”

The crashed bus was operated by Solus Coaches based in Tamworth, Staffordshire, and run by Andy and Lucy Garratt.

It is believed the coach had two drivers on board at the time of the incident. The maximum daily drive time for any bus driver is nine hours. It is also a legal requirement that each driver has a 45 minute break every four and a half hours.

A spokeswoman for Alvechurch School said: "There is no further information at this stage. We are liaising with the police and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office."